‘Why Lucius?’
Aulus shrugged. ‘That is an open secret. Crassus has no other family. He has sealed a will naming Lucius as his heir.’ He chuckled, an unpleasant loutish sound. ‘Not to enjoy the villa, though. That would be too simple for Germanicus. Lucius is to sell everything and have only the money, to build a church. It was agreed during his visit. Daedalus told me. Crassus would not wish this property to be openly owned by a Christian, it might dishonour his memory, but at the same time I suppose he will have secured prayers for his soul. Germanicus always preferred to bet on both sides of any coin.’
I was thinking about the will. ‘Are there any other bequests?’
Aulus shrugged. ‘Daedalus himself was to have something; and Andretha a pension and freedom, provided he could render the accounts. Apart from that it was mostly bequests to “substitute heirs”. The estate will go to them if Lucius refuses to accept the money — which, being Lucius, he might do I suppose. The substitutes are people that Germanicus wanted to impress. You know what wealthy men are like, always bragging about what is in their testaments, in order to win favours while they are alive. I hear Marcus and the governor are named as substitutes. There may be others, too. Of course, we shall not know for sure until the will is opened and read publicly in the forum.’
‘You realise,’ I said, ‘that you have just attributed to Andretha a motive for wishing his master dead? A pension and freedom.’
‘Andretha?’ That was a new idea, I was sure. ‘He’s a peculiar man. I suppose it’s possible. He’s got a mania about buying his freedom. He worked for a younger man before, you see, and was arranging to do it, but the youth died of a fever and Crassus bought him instead. Andretha still talks about saving his slave-price and buying his release — but now, I suppose, he will not have to. It has turned him into a hoarder, though. Crassus used to torment him by fining him for misdemeanours. Parting with a few sesterces was more painful to Andretha than the lash, I believe. Every fine delayed his freedom a little further.’
I nodded. A slave, particularly a chief slave, might hope to receive an as or two from departing guests — assuming that Crassus’ gambling friends were more generous than he was. All the same, it would take a long time to save up those ‘few sesterces’. Every fine would sting. This was presumably the ‘subtle method’ that Paulus had talked of. But speaking of Andretha reminded me. ‘And what about Daedalus?’ I said. ‘What kind of man was he? He was promised freedom even without the will. Why would he run away?’
‘He was a strange man, too. Oh, he was clever — knew how to flatter, how to laugh at the right time, how to find out people’s weaknesses. But-’ Aulus got up sharply. ‘Why are you asking me this, citizen? Facts I can give you, but who knows a man’s motives? I am a spy, not a soothsayer.’ He towered over me.
I stood my ground. Like Daedalus, I knew how to flatter. ‘You have sharp eyes, gatekeeper. I value your impressions. If I am to find Daedalus, I must know what kind of a man he was. Could he have done this murder? If Crassus had suddenly denied him freedom, say?’
Aulus took a step backwards and began looking at his sandals, with the air of a great philosopher. ‘I have asked myself that. I don’t know the answer, citizen. I do not believe so, murder was not his weapon. But people will stoop to almost anything, for a price.’
An interesting sentiment. ‘And Daedalus had his price?’ I asked.
There was a pause. ‘Oh yes, he had his price.’
‘And what was that? Money? Freedom?’
No answer.
I waited. At last he raised his head and looked at me. He was a big, brutish man, but he would not last a minute, I thought, in front of a hostile magistrate. No one had even threatened to torture him.
He sat down again, avoiding my eyes. ‘I suppose, power. Freedom and money perhaps, but most of all power. I don’t think he would murder for revenge. One can have very little power over the dead.’
‘But in exchange for power?’
He looked at me then. ‘He might do anything.’ He leaned forward, leering excitedly. ‘I see what you are thinking, citizen. Those soldiers at the gate. .’
It was not exactly what I was thinking, but I said, ‘Go on.’
‘Suppose Daedalus was paid to murder Crassus? Bribed by some high official perhaps, or offered a lucrative post — that would explain everything. If Crassus was plotting against the empire, as Marcus thinks, he would have powerful enemies. Men with the money to offer Daedalus anything.’ He smiled triumphantly, seizing my arm again. ‘If you prove this, citizen, do not forget that it was me who reported those soldiers at the gate.’
‘Or “soldier”,’ I said. ‘One each time.’
‘Yes,’ Aulus agreed, ‘but there might have been others behind the scenes. They were centurions, after all. They could have had a military gig, for instance, to bring the body back unseen.’
‘Of course,’ I said, ‘such powerful men would have the means to buy your service, too.’
He got up, terrified. ‘I swear, citizen. .’
‘After all,’ I went on remorselessly, ‘you are known to be a spy.’
‘That is different, citizen! Quite different! Marcus is a state official, and besides I had no choice. .’
‘A man will stoop to anything,’ I quoted softly, ‘for a price. What was your price, doorkeeper? And do not lie to me, I have Marcus’ ear.’
He slumped down upon his stool again. ‘It was. . it was a small thing — a theft. I swear I did not know. I saw it lying on the highway and picked it up. I did not know it was the quaestor’s purse.’
‘Picking up a purse on the highway? That is hardly a capital offence.’
‘No.’ Aulus shifted uneasily. ‘Only — there was a body lying beside it.’
‘The quaestor?’ I had not heard of the incident.
He met my eyes. ‘No, the thief. There had been a struggle, he was wounded and must have crawled away and died. And there was I, standing beside the body with the purse in my hand, when Marcus and his lictor arrived. They had been riding some way behind the quaestor and had come to investigate the trail of blood. They said I was an accomplice.’
‘I see.’ It was easy to imagine. Marcus had persuaded the lad that his life was in danger — banditry on the imperial highway was punishable by crucifixion. Not a risk to be run lightly. Aulus had been quietly released in return for a promise to supply information. By such means are spies recruited.
It was neat. Perhaps on reflection Marcus’ choice of spy was not a bad one, even if he did seek the occasional bribe. A man terrified for his life could be relied upon to tell everything that he knew, prompted by a threat or two. Wasn’t I, after all, using a similar technique?
It was effective too. Aulus was positively babbling in his desire to offer information. ‘There is one other thing, citizen. Something I learned about Daedalus. It may not be important — I don’t think it is — but I believe he had. . a woman.’
It was so unexpected that I almost laughed aloud. The picture of Daedalus that Aulus had been building up — cold, clever, talented, calculating — did not allow for women. I said ‘Love?’ incredulously.
‘I know,’ Aulus said, ‘it sounds ridiculous. But I saw him with my own eyes. Crassus had a woman here who claimed a marriage contract. He refused to see her at first, but she threatened to make a fuss. He gave her the old slavegirls’ room in the villa in the end, and finally paid her off, I think, because she went off happy enough. But several times, at night, I saw Daedalus loitering outside her room, and twice afterwards, when she had gone and was supposed to be travelling home, he slipped out in the middle of the night and was gone until daybreak.’
More nocturnal adventuring, I thought. That back gate had a lot to answer for — although little seemed to escape Aulus. And no doubt Daedalus had paid for silence, too. Aloud I said, ‘I thought she was Crassus’ woman — or wanted to be?’